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MANILA - Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Thursday said he has felt the resolve to run for senator to prevent "allies" of "extremist groups" from clinching one of the seats in the legislative chamber.

"Let’s just say that when I found out what the extremist groups did, I found a resolve to run. Why? Because I don’t want to see their allies elected into office," he told ANC's Headstart when asked if he was still open to running for the Senate as he pursues his nomination to the International Law Commission (ILC).

Last week, members of Bayan USA and allied organizations went to a restaurant in New York City where they chanted "Roque out of ILC!" and "No justice, no peace, stop the killings in the Philippines!"

• Protesters rally vs Roque in New York on ILC nomination; spox condemns act

Roque had been in New York after he was fielded as the Philippines' nominee to the ILC, an advisory body to the United Nations.

"I actually did not witness anything because we weren’t aware that there was any commotion, but when I saw the statement that they distributed, calling me a war criminal, I said enough is enough. You don’t call a person a war criminal especially since I’ve devoted 30 years of my life to the protection and promotion of human rights and I don’t have to enumerate what I have accomplished," he said.

"I felt enough is enough. I’m not going to be bullied by these people and if I have to, I will stand for election to prove that the people support me," he added.

However, he said he was not confirming anything about his election plans just yet, as he would still have to talk with President Rodrigo Duterte and Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio.

"Everything is premature. I’ll have to talk to both the President and Mayor Sara and I will explain to them my predicament because I thought what happened was unfair and I thought that I cannot sit idly by and let people being supported by these extremist groups be elected into the Senate," he said.

Roque had said Duterte-Carpio persuaded him to run for senator on the last day of filing for certificates of candidacy last October 8, but he did not push through with it.

He later revealed an option for him to run as a substitute candidate.

• Roque reveals he could run as substitute candidate for senator

With speculations that Duterte-Carpio might be tapped as the running mate of former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, who is aiming for the presidency, Roque was asked if he will be able to run with the son of the late dictator.

"I will cross the bridge when I get there, but I’ll find out how old Sen. Bongbong Marcos was when all these atrocities happened. But offhand, I’m going to say well, I’ve always stood for democracy in the Philippines, my whole family, including Sen. Salonga stood against the dictatorship and that would be a consideration," he answered.

"But I’m not saying that I’m running under any president as of now. We will consider everything, but the important thing is that these extremist groups—despite the fact that they have succeeded in parliamentary democracy—are still resorting to violence, not only in the hinterlands of the Philippines, but even in places like New York," he added.